Tacos Al Pastor are widely popular throughout Mexico as well as
other countries, such as the United States. This dish typically consists
of shaved spit-roasted pork, pineapple, onion, and cilantro all on top
of a cooked corn tortilla. Of course there are slightly different
variations of tacos al pastor in the different regions, however the
preparation and cooking style of the pork remain relatively the same
throughout Mexico. Tacos al pastor is prepared by first marinating pork
slices in a marinade that usually contains fruit juices, chilies, and
spices such as oregano, achiote, cumin, and more. After the pork is
thoroughly marinated, it is then placed on a vertical spit called a
‘trompo’. As the pork spins on the trompo, the pork fat heats up and
drips down to create a crispy exterior. On top of the trompo, it is
common to see either a pineapple or onion that is sliced off and placed
into the taco. Along with the pineapple and/or onion, cilantro is a
common ingredient that is added to tacos al pastor. Depending on the
region, chef, and family recipe, the tacos’ toppings vary.

The origins of tacos al pastor are linked to Lebanese immigrants who
migrated to Mexico during the 1930’s. These immigrants migrated from the
Ottoman Empire due to a multitude of different reasons such as evading
military conscription, escaping violence, and searching for better
economic opportunities. The use of the trompo was inspired by the method
used to prepare Shawarma, which is spit-roasted lamb on pita bread.
*Shawarma was a very popular dish in the Ottoman Empire and its
popularity spread throughout the empire. The vertical spit was invented
in the Ottoman Empire during the 14th century and was quickly accepted
as the only way to prepare Shawarma*. During the 1930’s, some of the
Lebanese immigrants opened their own restaurants in which they served
the popular Middle Eastern dish. There was also a variation of shawarma
that popped up called tacos arabes which was lamb on a flour tortilla.
Later, during the 1960’s in Puebla, the Mexican-born children of these
immigrants opened their own restaurants and put a Mexican twist onto the
popular Lebanese dish. Lamb was switched out for pork, which was then
marinated in a variety of spices and chilies that are popular in Mexican
cuisine. The pita bread and/or flour tortilla were then switched out
for corn tortillas. At one point, pineapple began to be included to the
taco al pastor recipe. The origins of the inclusion of pineapple remain a
food mystery to this day. It was also during the 1960’s when tacos al
pastor found its way into Mexico City and gained immense popularity.
Since then, tacos al pastor have become a long-lasting part of Mexican
cuisine and a go-to street food choice.

Who doesn't love tacos al pastor? No one I know. The addition of pineapple to these tacos was a brilliant idea in my estimation. Much like pizza, not everybody likes the addition of pineapple to these tacos but I love it on both dishes. It is a wonderful compliment to the marinated pork and spicy green salsa always served with these tacos along with chopped onion and cilantro. The world would be a less colorful place without these street tacos.

I placed a pork butt in the freezer for about 4 hours to make it easier to debone and thinly slice. The slices were marinated for 24hrs in the adobo along with a cup of pineapple juice before adding them to the spit. The bottom and top held the pealed top and base of the pineapple and pineapple rings were placed within the meat column.

The meat was roasted at 275-300ºF for a total of 6 hrs.

The meat cooks from the outside in and is shaved as it finishes. The first shaving.

4th shaving

An easy way to fry corn tortillas is to quickly coat them with an oil spray such as PAM and fry them. These are street tacos so I used street taco sized corn tortillas

Tacos Al Pastor plated with chopped onion, radish, cilantro, and avocado tomatillo salsa. I used 6 serrano peppers. We like it spicy. There were limes but I forgot to place them for the photo.

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